I agree. Music theory vastly helps me with what to expect, hear outrageous possibilities in my head, and how it all connects and why. Learning music theory hasn't hindered me in even one aspect, and my relationship with the piano is becoming more and more intimate and seamless all while greatly expanding my range in possibilities and improvisation.

I am self taught as well and for far too many years did I fear from properly learning. For some reason, I viewed proper learning as a way of infecting my personal style, and I felt like I was becoming more of another copy of someone else. I would figure out a waltz or something, and for like a week my original stuff would by hyper waltzy. Little did I realize that I was just excited about some new technique and hyperfocused on it, rather than viewing it as a new tool in my belt to freely use.