SEE ALL
What does this painting say to you? Show it to friends and see what they say. Do some look at the details, others the shapes? Are there people who don’t want to look at it? Do they prefer the tactile feel of sculpture? After reading this article, consider what intelligence skills they bring to viewing art.
The theory of multiple intelligences drove how I educated my children, developed science exhibits, and ran my company. Howard Gardner’s comprehensive approach to education empowers teachers to create joyful and engaging classrooms. The crux of his teaching is that humans’ intellectual competencies vary based on genetic factors and experiences. He claimed there are nine, perhaps more, ways people across the globe access and process information. Like most, we’re a mixture of the nine intelligences, with some a great deal more potent than others.
- Verbal-linguistic intelligence (well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings, and rhythms of words) career possibilities: lawyer, speaker, host, author, journalist, curator.
- Spatial-visual intelligence (capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly) career possibilities: Pilot, Surgeon, Architect, Graphic Artist, Interior Decorator, Painter.
- Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully) Career Possibilities: Dancer, Athlete, Surgeon, Mechanic, Carpenter, Physical Therapist, Veterinarian.
- Musical intelligence (ability to produce sound and appreciate rhythm, pitch, and timber) Career Possibilities: Singer, Composer, DJ, Musician, Linguist
- Interpersonal intelligence (capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations, and desires of others) Career possibilities: Teacher, Psychologist, Manager, Salesperson Public Relations, Physician,
- Intrapersonal intelligence (capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes) Career Possibilities: Therapist, Psychologist,
- Naturalist intelligence (ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals, and other objects in nature) Career Possibilities: Botanist, Gardener, Animal Care, Landscaper, Forestry, Zoology, Veterinarian.
- Existential intelligence (Critical Evaluation) Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence such as, “What is the meaning of life? Why do we die? Where did we come from? How did we get here?” Career Possibilities: Religious leader, Philosopher, Teacher, Historian, Anthropologist.
These intelligences make sense to me, as I’m a tactile person who loves to read. I’m not musical or mathematical and am more in tune with interpersonal feelings and values than intrapersonal ones. The challenge for parents, teachers, and trainers is understanding the individual’s learning style and designing programs that take advantage of that skill.
I befriended a young man whose school tests showed him to have a low IQ. The test didn’t distinguish among the nine intelligences. He struggled to get through school and had difficulty keeping a job. One afternoon, I took him to the Portland Art Museum, where we toured the displays and discussed the paintings in detail. I was surprised at the depth of his interpretations. His insights added to my understanding of the art. Later that summer, my husband and I took him to an art fair. We had to pull him away from the booths when it was time to leave. He spent hours talking to the vendors about their art. Unfortunately, his strength was not understood or integrated into his education. Instead of thriving, he became a drug addict who couldn’t hold a job. If his visual abilities had been better understood, he would have been an excellent museum guard and helpful to visitors. Though not a good reader or artist, he absorbs what museum guides and artists say about their work. He would have been proud to come to work wearing a guard’s uniform and have stayed a loyal worker until death.
After leaving my job at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, I founded the Museum Tour Catalog with the help of 27 museums. The company supplied interactive educational toys, books, and materials to over a million households annually for eighteen years. Catalog pages were named after museums, art, science, history, and exhibit halls, such as engineering, symphony, nature center, etc. Gardener’s frames of mind theory influenced what we carried. Engineering and technology pages featured more than material and electronic devices to assemble. They contained science fiction and how-to books, computer programs, design projects, and historical devices like those devised by Da Vinci. The goal of the catalog was to sell products that piqued the recipient’s interest so they’d want to know more. It was to help parents better understand the way their children think.
Whether you are a parent, friend, reporter, politician, or teacher, if you want to be a better communicator, it helps to put your audience through the sieve of Gardner’s categories. Friends and students often nod and pretend they understand what you are saying when they don’t. You might need a different way to get your point across. My husband can watch a YouTube video before repairing equipment and know what to do. I prefer reading instructions when they’re outlined 1,2,3… I get confused and bored watching the footage, zone out, and can’t remember what to do first.
It is essential to understand that biological, psychological, and experiential factors play a role in problem-solving and creating products of cultural value. Awareness of the differences in intelligence skills can make one more curious and less critical.
I look forward to your comments at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/blog/199537/frames-of-mind
Art is always for sale. See All is a 48″ by 24″ acrylic painting on deep canvas. Available for $895, shipping included. Purchase through my website at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/5558644/see-all#/
For further information, contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com
References:
Website (2024) Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences.shtml
Website. (2025) Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Overview and Theory. Study.com. Retrieved from https://study.com/buy/academy/lesson/multiple-intelligences.html?
Marenus,< (2024) Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. |Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/multiple-intelligences.html
Mark your calendar
Location: Annie Bloom’s Books
Date: Thursday, March 13th – 7 pm
Address: 7834 SW Capital Hwy, Portland, Oregon 97219
Annie Bloom’s Books welcomes Portland author Marilynne Eichinger for a reading from The Water Factor: A Rightfully Mine Novel.
The Water Factor has several themes besides the corporate takeover of water. It explores what will turn a young person into an activist. When you read the novel, consider Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind and see where the characters in the book fit into his theory.
The Water Factor is an International Firebird Book Award winner for best dystopian novel and a Literary Titan Gold Award recipient for best thriller. The novel is available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. It can be purchased on AMAZON, Barnes and Noble, Annie Bloom Books, and Powell Books Online atand as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Ask your bookstore to order a copy from Ingram. Please leave a review.
