Artists become employees when they are commissioned for work — like any regular employee at a regular job… they have to deliver labor in exchange for payment. This is why I believe that the artist has to learn to be a good employee because it’s all part of being able to provide a living for themselves. I think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs when thinking of this because an artist can provide for their physiological needs only after producing work that sells for money so they can buy food and pay for shelter.
It is only after physiological needs are met that the artist can then aim higher and or risk creating art for the sake of art. The artist can also get a job and have a income stream that allows them to meet their physiological needs which in turn allows them to create art for art sake. Now good employees follow directions and understand their role to accomplish their task. The artist has to follow the guidance for the commission work he is working on from the client and at the same time they need to know their role in that case to deliver on their task of creating.
Artists are employees. What type of employee they want to be… is up to them.