Our #CLEative Groove series features Q&A profiles on our city’s creative makers and shakers! Read on for our next installment with Regina “Regi” Strauss, a Lakewood resident who’s done everything from ice plunges to living in Spain for a month in the name of challenging herself—and bringing her Midpractical Modern audience along for the ride.

How long have you lived in Cleveland, and where do you currently live? I am a lifelong Clevelander! I grew up in Eastlake, went to college at Baldwin-Wallace University in Berea, then lived (and got engaged and married!) in downtown Cleveland for 10 years. During the pandemic, my husband, dog, and I moved to Lakewood where we currently reside.

Name something local that helped to shape your creativity as a kid: I was big into nature as a kid. I was fortunate enough to have Lake Erie in my backyard with a large hill full of wildflowers and butterflies where I spent much of my childhood. I was always asking to go to the Metroparks to walk the trails and see any exhibits on display; my favorites were Penitentiary Glen and North Chagrin Nature Center. When I developed a love for photography in my teens, the landscape and wildlife of northeast Ohio was my preferred subject.

Additionally, I was always interested in performing arts. I remember attending shows at the Lake Performing Arts Center in Willowick and taking voice lessons at the Fine Arts Association in Willoughby. Throughout my time at Lake Catholic High School, I was also very involved with choir and theater. My cameo role of Aunt Gert in Lost in Yonkers was where I learned that being silly and making people laugh was something I really enjoyed doing.

Midpractical Modern is all about sharing inspiring and entertaining content that shows how to “live in the middle”.What inspired you to start Midpractical Modern? Midpractical Modern is all about sharing inspiring and entertaining content that shows how to “live in the middle.” Being midpractical is about having a moderate and balanced lifestyle by doing the things you love, dream of, or just need to get done—all within your means, at your own pace and effort level.

In June 2021, I was feeling unmotivated and off-kilter, in part because of how many TV series I was mindlessly and consecutively consuming. I decided to give up all my shows and movies for a month and asked my friends, family, and Instagram followers for input on what to do instead. It ended up being a very productive and motivating month, and the ideas shared with me—along with an ever-growing bucket list of my own—have inspired me to take on a challenge every month since. 

Each challenge emphasizes learning something new, a specific task to complete, or an obstacle to overcome with a midpractical mindset around money, time, and energy. I share all of the ups and downs of the journey so that people can see that if an average Midwest-living, TV-watching, carb-eating millennial can tackle these challenges, they can, too!

After a year of challenges, I decided to make things more official. I left my full-time corporate marketing job to transition to freelancing, allowing me more time to build and launch a platform to share my challenges—which led to the inception of Midpractical Modern. When I’m not freelancing, I am creating social and blog content for Midpractical Modern and connecting with my community. Loving every minute of it!

Can you share a few examples of the challenges you’ve done so far? They’ve revolved mostly around home, health, and overall happiness. I've done the TV challenge twice now, and both times it freed up time to focus on tasks that I had been putting off, catch up with friends, and spend some time outside. I’ve done a closet clean-out where I went through all of the closets in my house and removed, recycled, and reorganized the spaces. I’ve listened to a new album every day for a month to expand my musical horizons. 

One of my more recent challenges was exploring the benefits of cold showers and ice plunges for a month. I started with cold showers at the beginning of the month to build up my tolerance for the cold plunge. Given my love of Lake Erie, it was only natural that I headed up to Edgewater Park to do an ice plunge in Lake Erie. (This was in February, so it was also the coldest plunge I did!)

I’m always looking for new challenge ideas. One of the ideas on my list is to explore the hidden gems of Northeast Ohio that I haven’t yet visited. A few spots on the list: visit the Cleveland Aquarium, attend a roller derby bout, and walk through The Christmas Story house!

In your opinion, what are Cleveland’s best-kept cultural and creative secrets? I will say this until I am blue in the face: the local library systems (Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga Library, State Library of Ohio) provide some of the best resources to learn something new and spark creativity. You can learn a new language, learn to use an embroidery machine, use a 3D printer, or hear from world-renowned artists, authors, and activists. The list goes on…and, most of the time, all you need is a library card.

Also, I might be biased because I attended Baldwin-Wallace, but any opportunity to see a show featuring musical theater students from BW is like being able to see a Broadway show at a fraction of the price. So much talent!

What are some of your other creative passions, and how do you indulge them locally? I have had a part-time photography business for 15+ years that has allowed me not only to visit many picturesque local spots but also to capture Clevelanders enjoying them. Some of my favorite spots are The Arcade and the 5th Street Arcades, East 4th Street, and pretty much all of the Cleveland Metroparks locations.

Regi Strauss got engaged and married in downtown ClevelandAny quirky Cleveland stuff people need to check out? I recently visited the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse for the first time and it was a little slice of heaven. Walking through the warm air and taking in the beautiful colors and designs of the foliage was a welcome change from the grayness of a Cleveland winter. 

Any favorite businesses you want to shout out? I have to give a shout-out to TRG Multimedia, a group of insanely talented and creative people making photo, video, and CGI magic every day.

Share a fun fact about you that might surprise other people. The day my husband and I met, we ended up going to Dive Bar. So we decided to have our wedding reception at Dive Bar. A bit untraditional, but a ton of fun!

If you were a Cleveland landmark, which one would you be and why? As much as I’d love to say something glamorous like the GE Chandelier or Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, if I’m being honest with myself, I would be the Free Stamp because I’m not perfect and I love a giveaway!

Favorite Cleveland mural/piece of art? The rotunda of the downtown Cleveland Heinen’s! It elevates the grocery shopping experience.

Anything else you want us to know about you? I’m a multi-passionate individual and find it hard to define myself as one thing. Growing up, I thought I had to pick one thing to study and get good at so I could have that job for the rest of my life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that life is not a straight line. It’s not a ladder you have to climb to the top. It’s a journey with a lot of twists and turns and roads to wander. I’ve learned to embrace the wander, and it’s led to wonderful things. 

Learn more about Regi here, and keep up with Midpractical Modern on Instagram here. Also, stay tuned for more #CLEative Groove profiles! You can also follow @CLEativeGroove on Instagram here, or send suggestions for people to profile here.