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

Meet the Hackers Who Are Saving Lives!
Can hackers really be saving lives?! This group of hackers is combining their unique skills to do good! They've developed an extraordinary partnership that is quite literally saving lives.

A Bonsai Master’s Perspective on the Legacy You’re Leaving Behind
The ancient art of bonsai can teach you a lot about how to leave a legacy behind for generations to come. Whether or not you decide to take up your pruning sheers, bonsai master Chiako Yamamoto has some words of wisdom for you!

When One Dream Ends, How Do We Find Another?
Are you working towards a certain goal? Have you felt like your life has been thrown off track lately? The story of how Natalia Paruz became known as the "Saw Lady" will have you finding delightful inspiration in the most unusual places!

How Sea Bunnies and Otters Teamed Up to Save a Seashore
Is an ecosystem like a community? One beloved natural space was almost lost forever when it lost two of it's most important members, but here's how embracing their unique skills saved their home!

The World’s Oldest Dance Troupe Will Steal Your Heart
The oldest hip hop dance troupe in the world has a few things to show us about what happens when we let ourselves live without limits. Artificial hips, memory loss, and all, we can feel like life every day is a great celebration!

The Key to Finding Happiness That Lasts
Sure, you've heard about the "key to happiness" before, but you don't need to pay extra money or crush any big goals to achieve lasting happiness. Here's how you get off the pursuit of happiness treadmill and find happiness that truly lasts!

Relationship Advice from… Ants?
How do we nurture our best relationships? Today's teachers may be tiny, but they've been pulling off beautifully mutually beneficial relationships for millions of years! And yes, they've even befriended their own cows.

Proof That You Don’t Need a Brain to Be a Genius!
What can something called "slime mold" have to teach us about our own special kind of genius? Well, this otherworldly organism is changing the way we think about what intelligence looks like!

Is the Solution to Too Much Plastic… Eating It?
What if you could eat your water bottle? That may not be too far off! This little at-home experiment will have you playing with the endless possibilities towards a plastic-free life in your own house!

This Magic Trick Can Keep You from Being Manipulated!
Do you know if the decisions you make are really your own? This magician has a few tricks up her sleeve to help you avoid being unknowingly influenced and take control of your decision making again!

The Strangest Legs in the Sea: Could Your Toes Out-Sniff a Starfish?
Have you ever learned something new and then started seeing that thing everywhere? Well, you're about to experience this awe of discovery over and over again after this—with a creature you probably think you have all summed up!

What Do You Have in Common with a Nomadic Family in Mongolia?
Every time we see how someone else lives, our own lives become a bit more fascinating! This special edition of Saturdays Around the World brings us to Mongolia, to meet nomadic Kazakh families and get a taste for their beautiful lifestyle.
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