I agree on the Dogma aspect. Plenty of times I have abandoned it. However, I did find it very helpful to spend my first couple years in a strict Xtreme Programming (XP) shop. The rigor early on was very beneficial and its a safety net for when I feel out of my depth in an area.

I tend to go the other way, I don't use TDD when I am playing around/exploring as much as when I am more confident in the direction I want to go.

Leaving a failing test at the end of the day as a breadcrumb for me to get started on in the morning has been a favored practice of mine. Really helps get the engine running and back into flow state first thing.

The dopamine loop of Red -> Green -> Refactor also helps break through slumps in otherwise tedious features.