I'm going to ID myself as very The other site old, but is there a way, here, to "drink from the firehose" and then whittle down from there? It's always been my best way to find gems in the rough. I've found engagement here very difficult.

Are you trying to get more people or follow more people? Following starter packs and then unfollowing or blocking specific accounts as you go is one way to do that. Also, looking at a feed and following the people you like directly that way could work as well.