Someone once said "music theory is descriptive, not prescriptive". It doesn't tell you what to do, it just describes what's already there, and gives you the tools to do more with it. So if someone tells you it "limits their creativity", tell them they're full of it.

For melodic dubstep: Seven Lions - Fevers

So much power in that drop.

I go for a run. Exercise is amazing for refreshing your head space.

Take long walks or bike rides without headphones on. The rhythm of moving and breathing is conducive to musical creativity. In the 16 years I've been writing music, that's always worked for me.

these

I have a couple tracks where part of it started as a guitar riff, then I arranged it as a drop.

Before: https://clyp.it/lj0cib4d

After (1:45):

I'm really inexperienced with mixing.... I think it could be the stock plug-ins arent what I need

This isn't supposed to sound harsh, but if you're new, it's probably not the plugins. More experienced producers like getting their hands on new gear, but only because their ears are developed enough to tell the difference. If you're new, just stick to the old standards until you're confident with them. Worry about getting better gear once you can't go any further without it.

What IS important, is having good gear for listening. A decent set of over-ear headphones and cheap studio monitors should be enough for now, but more than anything, have some good tracks to listen to, so you can check your mixes against them.

E: Are you serious you don't need Waves if you're just learning to mix jfc that's like getting an original Les Paul so you can learn Smoke on the Water

out of topic but, i'm curious about how you do the meter to sound blue-yellow instead of green-orange-red
is it a template ? or did you do something yourself

It's a skin I downloaded, there's a link in the description.

how do u guys feel about moving out of diatonic harmony? tritone use? tritone substitution? does it hold a place in electronic music? are casual music listeners ready to hear that sound?

Sure they are. Non-diatonic modes are good for setting a darker mood in heavier dubstep, diminished chords are easy to work into a progression if you resolve them, and tritone substitution would probably sound great in a jazzier Madeon-type track.

E This Monstercat track with almost two million views uses borrowed chords.

If you're worried about the sub not showing up, use a different sub. Try this: start with a saw, put a sharp high pass around 40 Hz, and use a low pass to get it into sub range. Then use a limiter to keep it at a consistent volume. That should work down to about an A (27.5 Hz). It works by cutting out the fundamental, and just playing overtones on the lower notes, so it sounds more like a bass guitar, but deeper, since it gets down into the sub frequencies that acoustic instruments can't reach.

It might not be as heavy, but you won't be stuck in the same key that literally everyone else uses, and your track will stand out.