Exactly 3 months after having my baby, I finally felt ready to return to creating. I opened my laptop, started catching up on emails, looked at my YouTube channel, my courses, my Substack… And then I saw an email that made my stomach drop :(
I got an unexpected message from a German media authority (die Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg). The subject line referred to my YouTube channel. As I read through the message, I learned that a complaint had been submitted regarding my content. The authority believed that some of my videos might not have been properly labeled as advertising under German media regulations.
Further down the email, I saw a sentence mentioning potential fines of up to €500,000 for certain violations…
I don’t think my heart rate has ever increased that quickly from opening an email.
After spending weeks focused on baby feeding schedules, sleepless nights, and learning how to care for two children, I suddenly found myself wondering whether I had accidentally done something seriously wrong in my business. It was not the comeback to work I had imagined.
The good news is that I wasn’t accused of fraud, copyright infringement, or anything dramatic. Over the years, some of my YouTube videos had included things like:
affiliate links
discount codes
links to my own courses and products
In one example highlighted by the authority, I had mentioned that a set of colored pencils had been sent to me free of charge and had included an affiliate link and discount code in the video description, maybe you remember this video (I had to take it down aiii):
The authority’s position was that this content should have been more clearly labeled as advertising - ”Werbung” in German, and yes, it had to be in German, not in English (how could I know????).
They also pointed out that my YouTube channel did not clearly provide an Impressum, a legal notice that is required for many business-related online activities in Germany.
When you’re a creator, especially a small creator, it’s easy to think of yourself primarily as an artist, teacher, designer, or illustrator. But the reality is that once you start selling products, earning affiliate commissions, collaborating with companies, or building an audience, you’re also operating a business.
First, my mind immediately jumped to worst-case scenarios. Had I missed something important? Would I face penalties? How many platforms would I need to review? Was there something else I didn’t know?
Looking back, I think what frightened me most wasn’t the actual issue. It was the feeling that there might be rules I had never been taught.
After the initial panic wore off, I started reading carefully. I replied to the authority with questions. To my relief, the person handling my case was helpful and clear. It was an opportunity to correct issues and bring my content into compliance.
On that day, I did the following:
reviewed my YouTube channel
updated video descriptions where appropriate
added clear advertising disclosures
reviewed affiliate links and discount codes
updated my website
created a proper Impressum page
linked that Impressum from my social media profiles
reviewed my Substack, Instagram, and other creator platforms
In other words, I gave my entire online business a compliance audit that I probably should have done years ago.
If you create content online, it might be worth asking yourself:
Do I use affiliate links?
Do I share discount codes?
Have I received free products from companies?
Do I promote my own products or courses?
Are there disclosure requirements in my country?
Do I need an Impressum or legal notice?
The answers will vary depending on where you live. I’m not a lawyer, and this article isn’t legal advice! But I can say from experience that it’s much better to spend an afternoon reviewing these things than to discover them through an unexpected email.
What made this experience particularly difficult was that I’m not a large creator with a team, a lawyer, or a thriving business behind me. I’m a small creator. Like many artists, I spend far more time creating than I do thinking about regulations. Most months, my creative business feels like a battle of making videos, teaching courses, illustrating, and trying to earn enough income for all of that work to make sense.
So when I saw an official email mentioning potential fines of up to €500,000, it genuinely scared me.
At the time, my baby had just turned 3 months old. I was trying to find my way back into work while caring for two children, functioning on interrupted sleep, and slowly rebuilding my creative routines after months focused entirely on family life.
Instead of feeling excited about returning to my channel, I suddenly found myself wondering whether I should be doing any of it at all.
I created my YouTube channel because I wanted to help people. I wanted to make digital illustration more approachable and less intimidating. I wanted to share what I had learned and connect with other creatives. I never imagined that one day I would be sitting at my desk worrying about legal regulations and reading documents about potential fines. And also wanted to mention - I was genuinely happy to get my first “collab” and get those damn 30-euros colored pencils to test lol :D They’re not even that expensive, a small price for a YouTube video, but I was so happy!
Then, for a few days, the stress really got to me. Of course, looking back now, I understand that the email was an opportunity to correct mistakes, not a sign that my creative career was about to collapse. The issues were fixable, and I’m grateful that I was given the chance to address them. But I also think it’s important to be honest about how vulnerable many small creators are.
Most of us are doing our best, wearing ten different hats at once, and trying to navigate a world that becomes more complex every year.
I’m sharing this story because I suspect I’m not the only one who would have found that email frightening. If you’re a creator, consider this a gentle reminder to spend an afternoon reviewing the less glamorous parts of your business. It might save you a lot of stress later. And if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all the responsibilities that come with sharing your work online, know that you’re certainly not alone.
I guess - welcome back from your maternity leave Wera! ;) With fireworks :D
Designing a puzzle with 36 iconic historical women: a look into the brief
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Mar 8
Designing an illustration for a product is very different from creating a single artwork for a portfolio. When my agency sent me a brief from Educa Borras to illustrate a 1000-piece puzzle featuring historical women (non-fiction yaaay!), I really welcomed this challenge! Plus, I am a huge fan of puzzles, so this project was perfect.
Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Internationally I’m represented by Advocate Art. Over 50,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)
👉 Website
👉 Courses
👉 “The Art of Growth” blog-letter
👉 YouTube
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