Authors
Sam wrote and edited hundreds of articles during her time with the Goodness Exchange team from 2016-2021. She wrote about topics from the wonders of nature to the organizations changing the world and the simple joys in life! Outside of the office, she’s a part-time printmaker, collector of knick-knacks, and taster of cheeses.
Sam Burns
Former Editor-In-Chief
Hi! I’m Sam.
Over the course of my four years working at the Goodness Exchange (formerly Ever Widening Circles), I wrote 350+ articles on a wide range of topics, from adorable stinging slugs to the power of ballet in favelas, not to mention the countless stories celebrating the work people are doing in science and technology that can enhance all of our lives. (You can browse my articles if you scroll down!)
My time at the Goodness Exchange began in 2016 during a bi-annual hygiene cleaning (as most good stories do) at Lynda and Chuck’s dental practice. I was your typical wandering senior in undergrad with no clue what they wanted to do next, so when they offered me the opportunity to write a few articles a month for “the website Lynda just started” while I finished my degree, I jumped on it. For 4 years I was the Chief Curator and Editor. With different possibilities coming at me daily, showing me the world that existed entirely outside of my bubble, my view of what can be shifted entirely.
But even with all of this writing, it’s still hard for me to write about myself. So, here’s what my boss had to say about me:
“Sam brought a mastery of connection to the Goodness Exchange that is celebrated in every article she touched, and in every aspect of our visitor experiences. She is exceptionally gifted at wearing many hats, fluidly moving through every day from writing, research and business decision making, to diving deep into conversations with the thought leaders in our orbit. Most importantly Sam is an expert in going from “mind & heart”—on any topic—to the printed word that makes us all soar!
Sam is also a superlative “shape-shifter”, so open to everything that she seems always in the process of becoming something radiant and new. The sparkle she brought to every new person she met was a gift we are inspired by every day and we are proud to see all the ways it has infused GE with that same light for 3 years. She had been instrumental in our quest to find the common threads that connect us all.”
Dr. Lynda
Now, you can find me hunched over a table working on a new carving, printing and covered in ink, walking in the woods, at a show, dancing, building a meditation practice, eating bagels, or getting lost on a long drive.
If you see me at a party, ask me about:
- The two times I’ve fallen through a floor
- My grandmother and the raccoons
- The book I’m reading
Check out my artwork and connect with me on Instagram @somethingsburning.ink
Author's Articles
5 min read
Hummingbirds: The Bodybuilders in Your Backyard!
Get ready for a dose of awe and wonder! With lightning-fast speeds, an off-the-charts competitive nature, and beak-jousting skills that top Olympic fencers, hummingbirds are truly one of nature’s flying marvels.
The Key to Living a Longer, Fuller Life? Ditch the Routine!
Live every day you're alive by breaking your routine. Jed Jenkins quit his job, picked up his life, and lived each day to the fullest, choosing adventure and rediscovering childlike wonder for everything new. Read on to learn a little something about the beauty of spontaneity and the amazing things that come with a willingness to do what scares you.
5 min read
Easy Ways to Go Green: The Compost Pick-Up Services Coming to a Stoop Near You!
Wait! Before those food scraps in the garbage, here's an easy way to make a positive impact as you go about your daily routine. Turn your food waste into a resource without having to make a compost pile in your own backyard by having it picked up and taken away, right from your front door!
5 min read
How Saving the Bees Is Saving the Veterans!
Saving the bees and saving veterans at the same time? Meet Eric, an Iraq veteran who is helping ease the PTSD he and other veterans experience by sharing his love for bees and creating meaning, joy, and healing, in much needed spaces.
5 min read
No Such Thing as “Unskilled”: The Super-Speed Farmworkers We Couldn’t Live Without
In a world of automation, there is still one central part of our lives that requires the skilled touch of the human hand: food. Your produce doesn't just magically appear on your supermarket shelves, so it’s time we met the skilled people that make that fresh food possible!
Turn Your Junk Mail into a Masterpiece: How to Make Paper!
Stop throwing away your junk mail! With a little water, that recycling could become your next notebook, card, or to-do list. Let's rethink our conceptions of waste and think critically about recycling, all with a fun new activity: paper-making!
The Barber Taking His Talent to the Streets to Change Lives
Could a haircut really change somebody’s life? We've all felt that boost of confidence after a great haircut before. But for the clients of The Streets Barber, a fresh haircut has a much bigger meaning. Click in to see how we can all use our talents and passions for good.
Secrets to Surviving: Lessons from Carnivorous Plants
If you think the Venus Flytrap is cool, wait until you meet some if its fellow carnivorous plant friends. From rodent toilets to bat bedrooms, these plants have found some fascinating ways to stay alive! Check out their stories to learn how we can succeed in our own lives—if only we decide to do something a little unexpected!
5 min read
How Highway Crossings Are Saving the American Lion
You may know the American Lion by one of its 83 names, but whether you call it a puma, mountain lion, or catamount, it’s time to start protecting these important creatures. And that starts in—of all places—our highways!
5 min read
The Secret to Happiness? Don’t Try So Hard
Are we supposed to be happy all the time? After endlessly trying to chase happiness, Dr. Molly Countermine encountered a different way of framing it and our other emotions that we all can learn from. Here's how this simple technique can apply to your own life!
5 min read
Mysterious Orchids of the Everglades: Saving a Flowering Swamp Ghost
Deep in the swamps of Florida, real ghosts float in the air with their tendrils wrapped around the trees. These mysterious flowers have been stumping biologists for centuries, but this team of scientists and photographers has braved the alligators, snakes, and endless mosquitos to solve this puzzle once and for all! Let's join them.
5 min read
Why Are These Fridges Mysteriously Appearing on Street Corners?
Could a fridge on a curb change the lives of an entire community? In places where getting access to fresh healthy food is nearly impossible, neighbors, restaurants, and friends are teaming up to support and nourish each other. Here's how it works and how you can get involved!
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