How to Be a Fine Artist

We have had some stories of how difficult it is to be a fine artist. But when you actually sit down to do one of these, and I'm sure they vary because the this there's different styles that you're doing. What would you say as an average when you when somebody hires you for a commission? Is it? Did that does the client dictated? Do you dictate it? And what does it actually look like in terms of time spent at the computer?