For those who've contributed to open source, how did you find your first issue?

I'm trying to make my first open source contribution but
feeling overwhelmed. I've looked at 'good first issue'
labels on GitHub but:

• Some issues seem way too complex despite the label
• I'm not sure which projects are actually beginner-friendly
• Hard to tell if maintainers will help or ignore me
• Don't know which languages/frameworks to focus on

For those who've successfully contributed:

1. How did you find issues that matched your skill level?
2. How long did it take you to find the right project?
3. Any tips for filtering out the noise?

Appreciate any advice!