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Editor's Notebook Sometimes it takes not being able to see to show what you've been blind to. Eyes Wide Open ARMANDO SANCHEZ I 've been hearing a lot of talk about the importance of taking yourself out of your comfort zone, and when a recent opportunity to do just that presented itself with a "Mystery Lunch" at Sexy Hair's conference, The Experience, I leapt at the chance. There is a restaurant in Santa Monica, California, called Opaque, in which each member of the wait staff is legally blind, and diners eat their meals in complete darkness. The idea is that when one sense is deprived, others are heightened. For Sexy Hair, re-creating the conditions found at Opaque within the confi nes of a hotel ballroom, including bringing in the wait staff, was meant to encourage its 200 team members to truly listen to those around them—especially when so much of their professional interactions are based on sight. Other than myself, only a handful of key players knew what the mystery was, and following a short but moving video on the failings of preconceptions and a poignant introduction to several of our sight-deprived servers, attendees were given about 10 seconds to prepare themselves to eat in complete blackness. Talk about having to trust those around you! Special observers were equipped with infrared goggles to supervise the dining room, and I assumed that it would be easy enough to fl ip a switch should it be necessary, but even though I'd had more than 24 hours to prep myself, when the darkness came, it was overwhelming. I experienced a sense of claustrophobia. It was diffi cult to breathe. My eyes frantically, and futilely, searched the ballroom for a glimmer of light. After a few moments, I leaned over to the woman next to me and fell into journalist mode—I started asking questions of every description. That was my fi rst epiphany: When the lights go out, we become our true selves. I ask questions and listen, especially in situations I fi nd tense, like fi rst meetings or hitting turbulence while fl ying. And my companion spoke a lot—not surprising for a hairstylist! And, it got loud. The natural assumption would be that since you can't see you hear better, so we'd talk in whispers—not the case. It was as though people had to prove to themselves that even though they couldn't see, they still existed, and as a result spoke more loudly than usual. I yell, therefore I am. Finally, from my own experience as well as talking to others after the lunch, I found that people divulge intimate details much more freely than they would if the lights were up— especially to strangers. I wonder if this was because we were all sharing in an unusual event, or if it is because we can't read facial expressions when there's no light—maybe both. While I can't say that spending an hour in complete darkness was fun, it was enlightening. I'm so glad that Sexy Hair helped make me aware of how much I take for granted, how blessed I am to have the life I have and how empowering and insightful it can be when we truly look at ourselves—even in pitch blackness. AMY DODDS, Executive Editor adodds@creativeage.com 18 | BEAUTY LAUNCHPAD | APRIL 2016 That was my fi rst epiphany: When the lights go out, we become our true selves." DELIVER MULTI-DIMENSIONAL DEMI-PERMANENT COLOR TON E S ® PROTECTS No ammonia formula helps protect against cuticle damage during the color process. Weightless emollients surround the cuticle with a protective shield. DEPOSITS +LJKGHƓQLWLRQFU\VWDOOL]HG micro-pigments in a demi-permanent base deliver superior deposit with no lift. CONDITIONS Meadowfoam Seed Oil imparts an extra boost of moisture. SALON COLOR & CARE FROM THE FOUNDER OF O . P . I CDP C O M P L E X ®