+1 for whatever works for you is right.
The trick is to make sure whatever you do inspires your creativity, rather than substitutes for it. If you find yourself constantly out of ideas, stepping on a pedal, then playing the same stale lick that you were already bored with, you probably want to dig a little deeper than that.
If a raw tone gets the juices flowing but a wet one doesn't, there you have it, easy decision. and vice versa. Also, mix things up every once and a while to make sure that what you like hasn't changed, because sometimes that is what humans do, we change. I used to hate mustard when I was a kid, but now I love it. Glad I stopped to try it again down the road!
remember, you can be pre-dispositioned to believe whatever you want, but its only the end result that matters. Your ears are the ultimate litmus tests.
I look at MY effects use as another part of the creative improvisational aspect of my playing. I intentionally layer and tweak things to come up with unexpected sounds, often on the fly in a song. Step on this, tap tempo that, use my wah as a sweep EQ (rather than to go wakachika) to find that perfect frequency response, etc... In turn the tones I come up with often inspire different responses in my playing.
as a good buddy of mine once said, there's an alchemy to it..
I find that it keeps me out of my comfort zone. Certain "stock" licks won't come off well through certain efffects and tones. Instead I have to stay present in the moment in order to produce something that works well with that particular sound.
While this approach isn't for everyone, I really enjoy it. Then again, sometimes I go to a side gig with nothing but amp& guitar just to make sure that I am not in a overly dependant relationship :lol: .
also, try using gear in less than traditional ways, don't just try and emulate what you have heard it do. This is helpful for learning how to use something, but after a bit, experiment with it. I love using my wah as a foot based EQ rather than rocking it back and forth constantly. Its not a new approach, but when I was younger I thought all they were good for was 70's movie soundtracks (not dissing as they are cool 8) ).
As you can tell, my object is to keep things as fresh as possible for myself. Stagnation is my arch nemesis!!
happy exploring!