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
Meet the Ancient Superheroes Fighting Cancer, PTSD, Pollution, and Saving the Bees!
What if everything we need to solve many of our most vexing problems is growing, silently, all around us? Mushrooms are an unexplored powerhouse that could very well save the world!
5 min read
Cambodia’s First Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team
Have you ever found yourself not trying something new because you were scared of failing? This story of Cambodia's first women's wheelchair basketball team's journey is about to change that.
5 min read
A New “Twist” on Embracing Your Hidden Talents
Was there something that you just naturally did as a child that you stopped doing because of the critique or lack of support from others? What if that gift is just waiting to take you to your zone of genius! This unusually flexible guy shows us what's possible!
5 min read
How a Fictional Character Changed Real Science Forever
Could the TV shows you watched when you were younger influence who you are today? Researchers have been looking into this since a certain popular fictional character hit the mainstream and sparked a movement that changed the world of science forever!
Safeguarding Hawaii’s Future by Connecting with the Past
What if there were a new place to look for a sense of security in these times of turmoil and uncertainty, and it did not involve inventing something new or forcing ourselves forward? Instead, what if the answer to our thriving, right now, lies with remembering how our ancestors thrived!? Here's how they're doing it in Hawaii.
5 min read
Have You Heard of Lizzo? Here’s Her Secret to Success
Are you trying to achieve a goal? Is it taking longer than you thought it was? Here's the motivation you need to keep pushing forward from one of the world's most influential stars: Lizzo!
5 min read
Could Your Water Bottle Become a Monk’s Robes?
Hundreds of tons of plastic waste have never looked so good! By transforming plastic refuse collected from around the country into a fiber, this monastery in Thailand is helping us rethink the life cycle of our plastic! Could recycling actually just be the beginning of a new exciting journey? Check this out.
5 min read
Do You Know Where Baby Eels Come From? Neither Does Science!
There are a lot of mysteries about the world around us, but one you probably never thought you'd ponder is the mating lives of eels! EELS? Yes, these slippery friends have stumped scientists and philosophers for centuries, and this mystery reminds us all of the wonderful quirks of our world!
5 min read
Does Walking Have the Power to Save Lives and Uplift Communities?
Have you noticed that the first steps to solving our biggest problems are often right there in front of us, so clear that they're invisible? GirlTrek is turning the simple act of walking around the block into a revolutionary way to save lives and improve the safety of communities! Here's how.
5 min read
Why Don’t Beetles Have Bones? (And Why Do You?)
The perfect combination of strong, flexible, and light, our skeletons do a lot more than hold us up! But how did we end up with this skeletal wonder that makes us so different from bugs and beetles? Well, the answer is a great reminder of how a few little detours on the path of life can lead us in entirely different directions!
5 min read
How Soil Is Telling Us a New Story About Ourselves!
What can soil tell us about the lives of our ancestors? When one of the greatest archaeological finds of our time was unearthed right in the middle of New York City, history opened up. By studying soil samples extracted from hundreds of people previously lost to history, this scientist is piecing together an ancestry that was nearly lost!
5 min read
From Fish to Fashion: When A Fishing Net Becomes A Hat!
What if we looked at the life cycle of every item we purchased and thought "Where did this come from? What will happen when I'm done with it?" This company has figured out how to solve a problem for a community of fishermen and save wildlife by giving some of the ocean's most harmful pollution a new, more fashionable, life.
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