I've found that when I've been specifically looking for something romantic, it didn't work very well. I over-romanticised people, ignored red flags or incompatibilities, put up with things I shouldn't have - or gone the other direction in trying to be aware of that and dismissed people for picky, petty reasons. It's usually worked best when things evolve organically. But that doesn't mean you can't change how you meet people. I got a much wider circle of acquaintances when I focused on my interests instead of just socialising with people through work. Things like art classes, cooking classes, workout groups at the gym, even if it was something I didn't actually need to learn because I already knew it, it let me meet people as well as potentially getting a new perspective on the subject.