It is honestly so refreshing to finally see a creator who keeps it completely real about navigating adulthood while being unemployed.
Bernardine De Belen, an ADMU Creative Writing graduate and proud furmom to her dog Filipina, actually started creating content well before her adulting era. But after leaving her first corporate job, she launched her TikTok series “Usapang Tambay” under the handle @gelbadoodle. Instead of just being another clip you mindlessly scroll past, her unemployed diaries feel like a comforting sister playbook for figure-it-all-out mode, blending the everyday blues with light, whimsical moments that keep her going.
Usapang Tambay
Bern kicked off her series with a casual, chatty video breaking down whether she actually had money left after stepping away from her work, even sharing how she computed her savings to stay afloat while unemployed. Before taking this leap, she spent three and a half years at a scientific research institution focused on climate science—working in policy and communications rather than as a scientist, since she’s a creative writing graduate. Even though she genuinely enjoyed her time in her very first job, she eventually felt it was time to move on.
Curiousity Makes The Cat Resign
When explaining her decision, she pointed to a few core reasons: pure curiosity, her youth, and a deep need for rest.
Her first reason came down to wanting to explore her options:
Inisip ko habang nandon ako, ito na ba talaga yung para sa akin? Ano pa ba yung kaya kong gawin, Ano pa ba yung pwede kong subukan?”
As she put it,
As they say, curiosity kills the cat. In this case curiousity makes the cat resign.”
She truly believes there is just so much out there to experience, and being young makes this the ideal time to experiment and feed that drive without taking on too much risk while building her life.
Bata pa ako. Why not?
Above all, she simply needed a break to focus on her own creative desires:
I dreamt of making things for myself”
Through these little slices of reality, her bright, sunshine energy still manages to find the whimsical silver lining, offering a comforting perspective for anyone worrying about being off track.
On days when she feels down or worries she is off track—something so many young adults relate to right now—her bright, sunshine energy still manages to find the whimsical, silver-lining side of life.
Big Day For The Unemployed
While “big day for the unemployed” is a popular sarcastic internet joke for diving down deep internet rabbit holes or spending hours on niche drama, Bern’s series brings its own unique spin to daily routines and coping with life without a typical job.
She captures relatable moments like managing screen time, avoiding doomscrolling, and doing morning pages, while documenting her creative journey through The Artist’s Way with journaling and craft projects. Add in cozy food trips, unboxings from local independent shops like Simmer Supply, viral Dubai chewy cookies, homemade brownies, and cute appearances from her dog Filipina, and it is impossible not to love.
Beyond making content, Bern always finds a way to express her artistic self.
Recently, when faced with online commentary about her “hindi mayaman” intro, she brushed off the negative energy lightheartedly. Instead, she reflected on what truly makes her rich—having good people around her, a cozy bed to sleep in, and a positive, whimsical vibe.
Bagging Gigs Who Does It Like Her?
Her authentic approach is definitely paying off! After hitting her bucket-list goal of 50K followers on TikTok, Bern shared the exciting news that her series landed her a major gig with #GCashStories, marking her very first official GCash event.
Bern’s Unemployed Series is so much more than just a timeline of job hunting or daily vlogs—it’s a reminder that it’s completely okay to pause, recalculate, and embrace the messy in-between moments of growing up.
By staying true to herself, honoring her creative spark, and celebrating the little wins along the way. It might just be the exact season you need to build something beautiful.
At the end of the day, we’re just trying to figure things out.
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