New Hughes is a testament to the idea that we are engaged in growing our culture. The Spin Positive thread is a collective conscious effort to move this endeavor in a positive way. It is a place for local people, groups, and organizations that work for positive change in their community to show us what they are doing and how we can help spin it in a positive way.
The thread name borrows from the political realm, where spin is often considered as a problem. That is the kind of negative spin we intend to nullify with Spin Positive. The name also reflects the concept of spin from the scientific realms, where it is a descriptor for specific properties of matter. Everything spins. It is the nature of spins to interact with other spins. One of the ways spins connect is to add with others going the same direction and multiply the effect. New Hughes will amplify the positive spin of our local community to move the larger culture in a more positive direction.
Spin Positive is a more explicit and comprehensive rendition of the pro bono work we have done with local activists and medical research foundations over the last few years. Our 3 year series for the Neuro Film Festival and promotional clips for MN Walk, Roll, and Stroll fundraiser exemplifies the Spin Positive theme. The uplifting stories told by the people in those videos were heard by thousands of viewers during the annual on-line Film Fest. We worked to raise public awareness of ataxia, a very rare neurodegenerative disease, and give voice to the concerns, hopes, dreams, and realities of ataxians in Minnesota.
We have lent our video equipment and skills to helping community gardens and political activists get the word out. Examples of our work with these local groups are in the video list. You’ll be hearing a lot more about Russ Henry in the next few months. We met while making Crafted to Last – Minnesota Beer Blossoms. The original concept for the film was to include 3-4 local businesses that had been positively impacted by the growth of the local brewing sector. There is a saying in the beer scene, “Its all about the beer.” Generally, it refers to the quality of the brews and means that this is a quality driven business. One point I wanted to drive home in the documentary was that it is not all about the beer, especially in terms of economic stimulus and job creation in businesses that work with the breweries, tap rooms, and pubs. Compost, hops farms, graphic design companies, and brew system maintenance teams were part of the story in the early days. Four years later, I’m still making videos with Russ and he is still talking about compost. We still Spin Positive.
Video List:
Walk, Roll, and Stroll for Ataxia
World’s Tallest Community Garden
Tree Planting at Adams Grove Community Orchard
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