Is it expensive to make art?

I remember taking a silk screening class and a student asked if the fumes from the cleaners were toxic. The teacher kind of shrugged his shoulders: "I want to make silkscreen prints" he said and explained that some things simply are the way they are.
I am sure by now there are low fume, recycled, approved, something cleaners that do not give off fumes. The question is: Is it expensive to make art? I shrug my shoulders and well, it is as it is. I have spend all my available money on making art. instead of clothes, hairdoes, jewelery- whatever, who cares. I had a $5 a day foodbudget. It is as it is...and it will always be that way (now of course my kids are more important than anything else, art second).
Absolutely narcissistic, delusional - but simply an unstoppable need to express whatever, and hope somehow others get whatever and whatever... argh
I have spend so much money promoting my work. I love making art, but actually putting it out there in a proper and professional way is brutally expensive. I am not good at this. ...