If you use TikTok (or Instagram for that matter), you might be familiar with this audio:
Or this one…
But did you know that the creator of those famous voices, Lorena Pages, actually lives here in Orlando! That’s right. A lifelong creative with comedic flair, Lorena designs multitudes of original characters, hilarious storylines, and quotable videos! Let’s take a closer look at her fabulous work and road to the limelight!
Before Orlando
Born in Venezuela, Lorena grew up creating comedy sketch videos for her friends and family. Even as a child, she’s always enjoyed making people laugh with her unique characters and humorous plots. While she’s always known this to be a passion, she didn’t then realize it could turn into anything more than a hobby.
After attending the Fashion Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Lorena achieved much success as a high-end handbag designer in Miami, Florida. While certainly an outlet for her creative talents, the schedule was incredibly intense. So when her husband decided to pursue a job opportunity in Central Florida, Lorena left the fashion world to start a new chapter in Orlando.
A Return to Comedy
In her adjustment to a new city and new lifestyle, Lorena returned to her first passion – making people laugh. She joined TikTok and began making short, comedic videos featuring original characters and scripts. But what makes Lorena’s videos especially unique is her style. Using social media filters as inspiration, she creates a wide variety of personalities from an ape with an awkward sense of humor to an overly bougie insect. In the vast majority of these videos, the filters and her talent for creating unique voices allow Lorena to be the only performer.
But Lorena’s talents extend past her acting and character development skills. Her accounts contain a diverse set of video styles. Some videos concentrate on an individual’s story, while others are more focused on singular events and jokes. She also creates entertaining video series, such as this installment of “How Food Got Their Names.” You can see more of these episodes in this YouTube compilation.
Here are some other examples of Lorena’s characters and story styles.
Rilla the Gorilla is my absolute favorite! This video makes me laugh hysterically – every single time! In fact, I think I’ll watch it again real quick….
Alright, enough jokes…
Many of her earliest videos feature Janice and Penny – two friends with polar opposite personalities.
La Bumble La Wasp, one of her most popular characters, is a cockroach with an ego (and attitutde).
Of course, this is really just a taste of the wide variety of characters and comedy available on Lorena’s social media pages. Visit her Instagram reels for the easiest way to peruse her available content.
Going Viral
But Lorena’s videos really took off after she created the quarantine-appropriate “Love It, Couldn’t Wear It” sound. While so many TikTok accounts have used this audio to express their frustrations with the pandemic, the most famous is definitely a fashion-conscious Italian Greyhound named Tika The Iggy.
Since going viral with Tika, Lorena has been featured on HolaTV, Despierta America, and Vogue! She now boasts over 950,000 followers on TikTok with 18.2 million video likes. And with over 200,000 followers on Instagram and brand collaborations with companies like Nike, MTV, and Zales; Lorena has finally achieved the impossible – her childhood passion became a rewarding, satisfying, and ever growing career.
Wow! I love seeing artists recognized and rewarded for their unique creative skills and devotion to their craft. Be sure to follow Lorena on TikTok and Instagram to watch her latest creations. You can also subscribe to her YouTube channel for longer versions or compilations of her videos.
Thank you, Lorena, for chatting with me about your incredible journey! Congratulations on all of your success!
If you would like to suggest an influential individual or nonprofit for our local profile series, please email krysti@orlandodecoded.com.
