TikTok has become a home for creators to be their authentic selves, finding community online. We've seen this with the next creator in our Creator Spotlight Series, @bellapoarch, who has taken the world by storm sharing fun, engaging content each day.

Born in the Philippines, @bellapoarch is a US Navy Veteran and the third most followed TikTok creator in the world. Her creative content entertains millions and inspires emerging creators and followers alike. Check out more from Bella below as she talks about the community she has found on TikTok and how she celebrates her culture online!

How has your culture influenced or shaped you?

My culture has taught me to be strong, brave, and resilient. Those three things are ingrained in our culture and it's the reason why we see and cheer on so many successful people within our community. You need to have those traits to get through this life.

How do you celebrate the diversity and strength of the API community?

I celebrate by sharing content that I feel is an honorable and respectable representation of talent from the API community. I share movies, books, creators, and more whenever I get the chance. I love to illuminate all the beautiful people within our community who are doing big things. Just remember, the norms set within our culture and the norms that are practiced make Asians in entertainment, quite frankly, disrupters. We are going against what’s expected typically of us. We’ve gone against norms set within our culture / family / the standards society has viewed us with. Sharing these disruptive creators and entertainers is my way to celebrate.

What Does API heritage mean to you?

It's a chance to illuminate role models. Asian role models. Growing up, I didn't really have any female Asian American creators or celebrities to look up to. I think celebrating our heritage and illuminating creators from our culture will put a spotlight on role models for the future generation. This is something really important to me. I really do feel that everyone who has been selected is filling a void. And I want to help fill that void for the next generation.

How has the TikTok community inspired you?

TikTok inspires me every single day. It honestly lifted me up in one of my lowest moments of life. I had just gotten out of the Navy and I didn't know what to do with my life. And I was going through some pretty dark times. But through TikTok, I found a community who was so supportive and always there for me, encouraging me to be myself. The community created me. I'm so honored and humbled to be here and to be an API Trailblazer.

How do you support other creators in the API community and who are some API creators that everyone should be following/watching?

It's inspiring to see how supportive we are of each other. Recently, I went back to Hawaii where I spent time with @bretmanrock and collaborated with him on YouTube videos and TikToks. Just recently, I got to shoot something really special with @valkyrae. It was so cool meeting her finally for the first time, she's so sweet and kind and our collaboration will be coming out in May :)