Tisha Custodio’s Fresh Take On Creativity

Having to juggle music and acting, Tisha Custodio’s days are always packed. In one of her more recent projects, she is a series regular on Disney+’s “Big Shot” alongside John Stamos. Despite the busy days,  she finds time to replenish herself. This interview is all about Tisha Custodio’s fresh take on creativity.

1) You are a creative individual, in multiple senses of the term, as you act as well as work on music. Does acting and working on music simultaneously spread your creative energy too thin? How do you create enough balance?

Most of the time, music helps me wind down at the end of the day. Writing songs, or even just playing around with my guitar, helps me process my feelings/experiences more. However, there are some instances where I feel creatively drained. I think what helps me through these dips is the knowledge that most artists go through these periods and that I’m not alone. I recently went through a period of burnout, and it made me realize the importance of being gentle with myself and being ok with taking more breaks. Especially with music, it’s so easy to be obsessed with creating and getting better at your craft that it might feel like wasted time to do something else. But minimizing the other things life has to offer will make you feel burnt out more often and limit opportunities for creative inspiration.

2) What was your experience like on the sets of “Big Shot”? Could you give us an insight into the character of Carolyn Smith? How different or similar is she in comparison to you?  

My experience on Big Shot was incredible. This is my first TV credit, and I feel so lucky to have this kind, talented cast to show me the ropes. 

Carolyn, or Mouse, is the smallest and youngest one on the basketball team. She comes from a military family and is growing into her own throughout the first season. I would say we are similar in the sense that we work really hard to achieve our goals. I think the biggest difference is our age and where we are in life. Mouse is worried about getting straight A’s and receiving approval from adults and teammates. But I’m personally worrying about how to be an adult and not worry about what other people think.

3) How has your work life or your regular workday changed due to the pandemic and its consequences? How do you think the entertainment industry, as a whole, has been impacted by the same?

The beginning of the pandemic was weird because we knew we had this show to come back to but had no idea when we would be back. I had this unexpected hiatus and ended up spending more time with family and falling more in love with music. 

I’m amazed at how the entertainment industry figured out all these new protocols to safely open back up. There are more things to worry about: PPE, separating production into zones, and enforcing social distancing. It is a little different than how we’re all used to filming, but it makes the process so safe during these times. 

4) How has being an immigrant and a person of color impacted your work and your creative voice?

Being an immigrant has given me the ability to bring in a different perspective in the choices I make with my characters. It has made me want to bring Filipino culture to all my characters, so people that come from a similar background watching could feel seen in the media. 

5) You are known to enjoy myriad genres of music. But what is your debut EP going to sound like? Are you done with any of the tracks yet? If so, could you share something about the process?

There are a couple of songs I feel are close to finished. But I am still mostly just writing a bunch of songs. It’s going to be acoustic-driven, indie-folk with a touch of jazz and r&b. 

6) What’s next for Tisha Custodio? Do you have something upcoming that you would like to share with us?

Mostly writing songs! Hopefully a season 2 of Big Shot!

Images by Ryan West Photo.
Follow Tisha Custodio on Instagram.
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