I want to talk in-depth on the importance of furry kink art within the greater art community, hopefully to alleviate personal doubts and help other artists feel that their efforts provide positive social change.

It's easy to disregard erotic or fetishistic artworks as merely personal indulgence, devoid of real meaning or value beyond sexual gratification. That's a perfectly valid reason to create erotic work and incredibly enjoyable to persue, but society at large sometimes conceptualises erotic art in this way as an act of reductionism and not to celebrate its social significance.
Our collective impression of erotic content is defined by archaic and outdated social norms, persistent throughout decades and originating from idealistic religious beliefs or political standing points such as conservatism. Although people are more aware of these flawed influences today, these effects don't simply dissolve in the space of 20-30 years. They starkly effect how the greater populace views erotic content, usually for the worst. That's hardly the case in the furry community, but travel outside that circle and it becomes starkly obvious.

These predispositions can make it difficult for enthusiasts to identify the social and artistic value of erotic work, or struggle with feelings of irrelevance in their own work.
"Why make this stuff? Wouldn't I be better off doing something else with my time? Why not just offer my talents to more honest pursuits?"
I've chatted to a lot of burgeoning artists with these same doubts, and I would like to reassure that erotic work is something worth pursuing and capable of incredibly positive social effects.

Sexual experiences are a large facet of the overall human experience. Discovery of what we like and what stimulates us is incredibly important to personal growth and interpersonal relations, but it can be very difficult to become comfortable with oneself when what we like is considered outside the norm (such as homosexual or fetishistic in nature.) This is especially true in the face of the social status quo, which is *still* adapting to the idea of same-sex relationships. This situation is even worse regarding fringe sexual concepts such as kinks, which society largely ridicules.

In such an environment, it's very easy for those with fringe interests to feel embarrased or socially outcast for liking something they can't help liking.
In most cases this is perfectly harmless and practiced in private, but common social ideals can be brutally degrading to someone's confidence around their sexual interests if they don't meet the established norm.

In my experience erotic art helps to build confidence and understanding in the face of these social pressures. For some people, seeing their fantasies realized in engaging and beautiful work helps to legitimize their interests. The idea that someone else out there shares the same relationship with their kinks can feel liberating, and knowing that others enjoy the same work helps to alleviate isolation.
Erotic work can also breed understanding among those who may not understand why a certain kink could be so stimulating to someone else. When a fetishistic scenario is expressed with recogniseable skill, passion or even simple genuinuity, it can help exemplify the sexually gratifying aspects of the fetish.
In the best cases, it can inspire others to begin exploring those interests in their art, which in turn inspires others, and the cycle continues.
In other cases, it encourages sympathy or understanding towards the kink. How many times have you heard "I didn't get this kink before, but I think I understand it now!" or "I think you just gave me a new kink..."

It can be especially effective when individuals that we would consider "successful" or "influential" express these personal interests. High-grade professional artists, influential social media personalities or renowned academics creating or appreciating erotic works can help show that you aren't an outlier. Liking these things will not hamper your career pursuits, as evidenced by these individuals living full, successful lives while sharing the same interests.

As with any discussion regarding erotic material, it's worth addressing that some interests do cause harm or are considered ethically questionable. This line of acceptability is constantly moving; one day, something that felt accepted before suddenly is not, and the social ramifications of specific content are regularly swept under the rug. Regardless of where that line sits, becoming more collectively comfortable with discussing kink-related topics helps us address these issues constructively. Studies can be conducted that determine whether these topics do cause harm, and allow us to collectively act in a productive way around topics that we feel are too controversial to address, rather than shoving them aside and trying to pretend they don't exist.

Within the last 20+ years we've seen a huge influx of fetish-related art material, and seen communities grow out of collective interest in specific kinks. People just want to be understood and share in their interests, and there is no reason in most cases that they shouldn't. The status quo is the penultimate driver of discomfort around these personal interests, and in a lot of cases for no good reason. Erotic art - regardless of its quality - helps to create mutual understanding of kink-related concepts that build confidence and tolerance. This extends well beyond our community, allowing people to be confident in their choices outside of the safety of those who understand, and deal better with external prejudice knowing that their choices are justified.

Keep creating your work in whatever form you love most, share your interests and be genuine in your artistic expressions. The odds are that it will eventually help build confidence, tolerance and understanding in someone else.