Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a project, only to be plagued by the nagging doubt that you don't deserve the success it achieves. This is the reality for Jesse Armstrong, the mastermind behind the Emmy-winning sensation Succession. Despite his undeniable talent and accolades, Armstrong openly admits to battling impostor syndrome, a feeling all too familiar to many creatives.
In a recent interview on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Armstrong, 55, painted a vivid picture of the creative process. He described a well-functioning writers' room as akin to “walking on the moon”—a place where ideas flow effortlessly, and collaboration sparks moments of pure magic. “It’s like everything is veined with gold,” he said, “and you’re all on the same wavelength, bounding around with these golden moments of inspiration.”
But here's where it gets controversial: Armstrong also revealed the flip side of this creative coin. Writing alone, he confessed, can be isolating and daunting. “When it’s not working, and you feel you’re not going to equal the best version of what you’re trying to create, it’s incredibly difficult,” he shared. The pressure to replicate past successes, he added, can feel like a burden rather than a source of comfort. “The idea that ‘oh, it’ll be all right because you’ve done it before’ can actually become another rod for your back,” he explained. And this is the part most people miss: the countless drafts, the self-doubt, and the fear of being exposed as a fraud.
Armstrong’s journey is a testament to the complexities of creativity. Despite Succession’s 19 Emmy wins and nine Golden Globes, he still grapples with self-doubt. “All the good writers I know are riddled with self-doubt,” he noted. “You go in with this 70% feeling that it’s going to be a disaster, and you’ll be exposed as the fraud you always thought you were.” Yet, he believes a small percentage of confidence—that 10 to 20%, or if you’re lucky, 30%—is crucial. “That little bit of confidence grows in you,” he said, “and you learn that those negative feelings aren’t necessarily true.”
Armstrong’s honesty raises a thought-provoking question: Can true creativity exist without self-doubt? Is impostor syndrome the price we pay for striving for excellence, or is it a hurdle that holds us back? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a conversation about the highs and lows of the creative process. To hear more of Armstrong’s insights, tune into the full Desert Island Discs interview on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4, available from Sunday at 10am.
