Meet the Flockers: Jessica Clark!

What country do you most want to travel to?

Japan! Even though I’m lucky enough to have already holidayed and lived there, it’s always the top of my list. I’d visit my friends, eats lots of udon, visit the temples and spend hours at a gaming arcade. No karaoke for me though (no one should have to suffer my awful singing voice!)

What era would you choose to live in if you could?

So difficult! Probably the Classical Era because I love ancient history. I know it’s very romanticised in its retelling, so I probably wouldn’t actually enjoy lack of hot running water or electricity. But I’d love to explore other areas of the world at the time, not just the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece, but outside of Europe – like the Abyssinian Empire and Satavahana Dynasty.

Who’s your role model?

You certainly pick the difficult questions! Ada Lovelace is one. She is one of the first pioneers in computer science, she predicts that computers will be used beyond just calculating sums. Haruki Murakami is another. He is my favourite author. His stories are really surreal but he seems like such a down-to-earth guy from his interviews and written anecdotes.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

Aristotle quipped “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit”.

For me the biggest lesson has been quiet and measured persistence. I always put pressure on myself to conquer these herculean tasks. I thought I hadn’t gotten where I wanted because I wasn’t being strict enough, wasn’t denying myself enough, wasn’t putting enough hours in. But actually I was having the opposite problem! I’d have these massive blow-outs and then completely exhaust myself, so I’d have to start from scratch every time.

It was only really this year that I started doing small constructive tasks every day. 5 minutes of duolingo, 15 minutes of pilates, 10 minutes reading… and it all adds up over time. It is enough.

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