This quote by David Hockney speaks with the idea that we typically attempt to be something higher than we are, and in doing so, we limit ourselves. We may attempt to be something that we are not, or something that we can not be, and at the same time, we become smaller than we could be. We may attempt to be something that is beyond our reach, and in doing so, we might lose out on opportunities to become something fantastic in our own right. We might also try to be something that is too huge for us to manage, and in doing so, we may become overwhelmed and unable to reach our full potential. Ultimately, this quote is a suggestion that we ought to make every effort to be the best version of ourselves, and not attempt to be something that we are not.
"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization"
"Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer"
