When I teach I try to get my students to forget about "scales" as notes and get them to understand the pattern/math behind the scales. There are so many scales you can dig in to that you can literally spend the rest of your musical life learning them. Its the theory behind the scale that makes them work in real musical applications. What makes it major/minor/aug/dim and why would you use it. I personally still get dizzy thinking of all the letter names, modes, sharps, and flats. When I'm writing or improvising, thinking about all that sucks the life out of the music for me.
I practice the scales (alot) for technique and to train my hands where to go on the instrument without thinking. When I'm writing/producing I go for the feeling...thats when you apply the theory behind the scale. Major (happy), Minor (sad), dim/aug (tension)...ect...
...once you get deep you start messing around with modes, world scales, altered scales.
I learned the most about scales and how they relate to music through studying jazz charts. Through learning jazz songs from charts and improvising over the chords I learned the most about scales and how they relate to different types of music. John Coltrane said something like, "I try to learn everything I can about the theory & technique then I try to forget it." Get the technique and ear training from practicing the scales to the point where its engrained in your soul...then throw it all out the window and go for the feel of the genre/song you are aiming for. Hope this helps...