Engaging youths through visuals

This chapter explores the significance of creative freedom and self-expression by evaluating four research cycles of artworks created by a small group of youth from Rovaniemi, Finland. Artworks created in this creative experiment were assessed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Based on the arts-based research (ABR) approach, this research aims to investigate how visual thinking (VT) can be used as a tool and a method for stimulating the creative process among young people and youth. VT is an integral part of learning and can be honed through practice during the various stages of the learning process. Therefore, in this multi-faceted qualitative study, youths' creative expressions, such as mandalas, photography, interviews, essays, portfolios and documentation, were examined during each research cycle. By adopting this methodology, the study was eventually designed to demonstrate that visual literacy (VL) can enhance and build the knowledge of youth, such as self-assessment, beliefs, judgements and behaviours. Thus, the findings of this research establish that youth creativity can be boosted through frequent engagement with VL.