I am a designer. And not the geeky kind, the really cool kind. Like most effortlessly cool creatives, I carry a Moleskine notebook as a rule. My thoughts and doodles are that important. If you're a designer, writer, or artist of any kind then you most likely have a few Moleskine's lying around as well. You're part of the Moleskine community and as in any community, when you spot a fellow Moleskine owner, it's like you share a secret handshake. You can safely assume they've got good taste, just like you.

But to all of my fellow Moleskiners, I ask this simple question: Has the Moleskine notebook suddenly become mainstream? Are we toting a hard-covered, pocket-sized cliché?

Let's briefly entertain this possibility...

Moleskine used to equal: black, palm-sized, blank bible for the creative. Now? Moleskine offers countless possible combos where one can choose from a variety of sizes and designs to suit a multitude of possible functions. From city guides complete with maps and stickers, to portfolios with nothing but a bunch of pockets? And for the record, what the hell is a Van Gogh Inspired Silk Shantung Museum Moleskine Sketchbook? Exactly. There are Moleskine Exhibits around the world, Limited Edition Moleskines, and Moleskine collaborations with the world's leading companies, cultural institutions, universities, and social and entrepreneurial initiatives. Feel dirty yet?

Let's reminisce about the day you got your first Moleskine and you read the Moleskine "legend" that's discreetly tucked inside which goes a little something like this:

"Moleskine is the legendary notebook used by European artists and thinkers for the past two centuries, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from ernest Hemingway to Bruce Chatwin."

Um, lies. The Moleskine was created in 1998 by a Milan-based company called Modo & Modo, well after all these talented dudes had kicked the bucket. There are accounts that Chatwin did, infact, use a similar book in his travels, but Modo et Modo's clever marketing of the book as the notebook of creative gods is just that; marketing.

Customizing your Moleskine used to mean adding an old sticker or strategic paint smear to differentiate yours from everyone else's in Art 202. Those days are gone. Now Moleskine offers ways for you to customize your Moleskine digitially and download your Moleskine pdf in seconds. Fantastic.

So now there's a Moleskine for everyone and anyone. The problem is, you're not just anyone, dammit. You knew about Moleskines before they were cool, like Ffffound.com  and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

So is the secret rite of owning a Moleskine a thing of the past? Are Moleskines doomed to an obnoxiously universal existance like the iPhone or Twitter? Is the Moleskine's reign of cult coolness coming to and end?  I'll leave that up to you to decide. But after all this talk about Moleskines, here's a list of 5 Moleskine alternatives to help wash it all down...

1.Myndology notebooks and notecards. Created in 2005, recently redesigned by Duffy & Partners. Nice green initiative and inspiring emphasis on using only locally produced materials (in Brussels, Wisconsin).

2. Archie Grand Notebooks. Quite specific.

3. Field Notes. Brought to you by Coudal Partners + Draplin Design Company. Inspired by vintage farmers’ planting books.

4. Sliced Bread Notebook. A dozen delicious notebooks, one for each month.

5. Zync Notebooks.  (click "store") Inverted Moleskine. Comes in 7 different colors.

Jenna Holcombe - Dynamo's Senior Designer. Jenna is currently misplacing her glasses, laughing at Corey's jokes, making you an okay espresso, and massaging your retinas with her Wacom pen.