Slow Growth, Strong Roots: Building a Foundation for a Future Audience
Exploring content creation, audience-building, and the long game of meaningful work.
Welcome to another episode of UnRambling, where I record myself while biking, hiking, running, driving, walking, or swimming—well, maybe not swimming. I then transcribe and analyze my thoughts in an effort to maintain the rich ideas often left out on the road.
Today is Saturday, February 8, 2025, and I am walking with my three dogs in the forest behind my house.
Where My Creative Process Meets My Goals
Lately, I’ve been trying to map out how my content fits together—how my writing, UnRambling sessions, and other creative work intersect to form something coherent and meaningful.
I know I don’t want to write just for the sake of writing.
As much as I love the craft, I don’t feel like writing, in and of itself, is my ultimate purpose right now.
I admire beautifully crafted pieces in The New Yorker—narrative profiles that masterfully capture a person’s essence. I feel the pull when I read them: I want to do THAT. The same feeling arises when I see a photographer’s work that moves me. It’s the intoxicating mix of knowing I have the skill and wanting to refine it. But I also recognize that my energy is better spent building something—an audience, a community, a framework—rather than simply chasing polished work in isolation.
At some point, I can see myself writing for The New Yorker or creating long-form profiles that seamlessly weave pixels and prose. But none of that matters if I don’t first create a way for people to engage with my work.
Crafting a Thoughtful and Sustainable Content Workflow
This UnRambling session is an extension of the strategic thinking I started earlier today—figuring out how all my content pieces fit together, what purpose they serve, and what I want my audience to take away from them.
One thing I know for sure is that my best ideas develop over time. I expose myself to different creative influences, absorb aspects of the work I admire, and mix them with my skills and perspective. Over time, this process has helped me refine my unique approach. But I also recognize the need to be intentional about what I don’t want to do.
There’s a line I won’t cross regarding content creation. I’ve followed many creators on YouTube, Substack, and Medium whose work was once rich, helpful, and generous. But inevitably, there comes a moment when their content shifts—when they start prioritizing monetization over impact. The content often loses its soul when someone launches a course or puts their best ideas behind a paywall. I can pinpoint the day I lost interest in some of these creators.
That’s not to say I don’t see the value in paid content. I spend thousands of dollars yearly on courses, templates, and learning resources. But what I do know is that free ideas spread. If I lock my best insights behind a paywall, it will instantly limit the impact I want to make. My goal is to provide value first, to make a difference in people’s lives, and to create content that resonates.
Avoiding the Hype-Driven Approach
Another thing I can’t stomach? The high-energy, exaggerated personalities that dominate certain corners of the internet. I don’t want to be that person shouting into a camera, using hype to sell an idea. Sure, I recognize that this approach works—it’s why these content creators have massive followings. But it’s exhausting to think that success might require me to present myself in a way that feels fake or performative.
I want my community built on thoughtfulness, depth, and authenticity. I don’t want to create a superficial camaraderie with my audience, pretending we’re lifelong friends after just a few interactions. Instead, I want to foster genuine connections to create a space where people contribute ideas and refine them together.
The Structure of My Content Strategy
Refining into 1,000-Word Articles
I shape the core ideas from my UnRamblings into well-structured articles. To me, 1,000 words are the perfect image of an article—a concise yet detailed narrative that paints a complete picture of an idea. It’s often said that a picture is worth 1,000 words, and I believe that 1,000 words are worth an entire image of thought clarity. It’s the right balance between depth and brevity, long enough to provide substance but short enough to remain engaging. This structured approach allows me to deliver one fully realized idea in each piece without overwhelming my audience.
Distilling into 400-500 Words for Medium.com
Following Seth Godin's approach, I refine the longer piece to its tightest, most essential form. Stipping down a longer article forces me to sharpen my message, making it more compelling and leaving readers wanting more.
Video Content for YouTube
After writing the idea, I can present it naturally in a video format. By this point, the concept has bounced around and evolved into something clear and actionable.
Personal Life Record Blog
Finally, I integrate everything on my platform, linking Substack, Medium, and the work I’m doing on my photography website and YouTube so that all paths lead back to the larger mission.
Developing Workshops and the Masterclass
Beyond my core content strategy, I’m also considering practical tools to help people implement these ideas in their lives. One challenge I’m still figuring out is where to host downloadable resources, such as workbooks and handouts for in-person and virtual workshops. I want to refine these materials based on live feedback before making them publicly available.
At the same time, I see value in eventually developing a comprehensive masterclass. Much like Charisma on Command provides hours of free, high-value content before offering a full course, I want to ensure that people can gain deep insights from my work before ever being asked to pay for something. The masterclass would assemble all of my ideas, tools, workbooks, and worksheets into one cohesive, actionable process, giving people the entire method in an organized, step-by-step manner.
The Path Forward
I don’t have an audience yet, and while that might feel discouraging, I also see it as an opportunity. This is my time to fine-tune my message so that by the time I’m “found,” I’ll have a deep library of work, a structured content strategy, and a process that gradually hooks people in.
I want to intrigue people with short, thought-provoking ideas on Medium, guide them to longer, in-depth pieces on Substack, and ultimately show them how Life Indexing and the Personal Life Record system can transform how they capture and reflect on their lives. Whether they DIY with the free content or join my curated masterclass and community, I want them to feel empowered rather than trapped behind a paywall.
I believe the right people will eventually find this work. When they do, I want them to see a well-organized, authentic, and deeply meaningful system carefully built from the start.
Sean Openshaw is a photographer, videographer, and lifelong storyteller who believes "there’s more to a moment than meets the eye®." He created the Personal Life Record® system—Life Indexing Method™ —to help people live, capture, and catalog meaningful moments, creating a foundation for preserving their life stories. Because to have good stories is to live forever.