CreativeMornings - 🕊 April's theme is...

When the stars align and good fortune visits, it must be kismet. An unexpected windfall, a chance encounter with another that blossoms, a doorway opening to impossible dreams. Kismet is a little pocket of time just for you. We marvel at the sheer, unlikely wonder of these moments.

Kısmet is a Turkish word that evolved from the Arabic qisma, meaning one’s portion or lot in life. When kismet was borrowed into English in the early 1800s, its meaning shifted into fate and fortune. But be wary of awaiting your destiny with passivity, philosopher Barrett Holmes Pitner warns, lest you resign yourself to a fate where nothing grows. Attend to the synchronicities in your life. When kismet alights upon you, the cosmos is letting you in on something, and you can choose to meet it.

What do you take as signs of good fortune? What moments of kismet have appeared before you? How did you answer?

CreativeMornings/Istanbul chose April’s exploration of Kismet and Selin Çınar created the illustration.

The notes they write could be a conventional ‘fortune,’ but I encourage visitors to choose a call to action that could lead to an encounter. More adventurous visitors have the option of leaving a time and coordinates in their cookie, recall what they wrote, and see who shows up!

The idea for this came about because I was cleaning out my basement and found a fortune cookie maker I had purchased for my daughter’s 9th birthday, and which had been stored after only using it once. I see the very discovery of this wonderful device as its own kismet because ever since, it’s brought about much joy, interactions and even new friendships at the festivals I have attended. I invite anyone who likes to copy my idea. The more opportunities for Kismet, the better!”