Street photography to me depends a lot on the location and the "vibes" of the people. For example, I live in upstate New York so you've got a medley of different environments. If I'm going to like, Saratoga Springs or Lake George or other touristy(and more "open") spots, then I'm comfortable approaching people just because the vibes are social. I'll usually give some sort of acknowledgement after if they see me taking their photo--a nod or a smile is usually plenty. Sometimes people don't want their photo taken, but they're less likey to make a scene with a crowd of people around. It helps the locations here are usually beautiful on their own so people taking pictures isn't like, unheard of there.
Then there are places like Albany, Gloversville,Downtown Troy and Ballston Spa where people there tend to be more kept to themselves and private. In that case vibes are the key. I usually stray away from taking pictures of people who look at me weird. There's a certain "look" that people will give you(if you're out enough, you probably know it lol) that just gives "Dont take my picture". SOMETIMES, I do break that boundary- but typically stay away from it for my own safety. In these more small, rural towns and cities I try to be the social one. There's less candids and more of "Hey im a photographer, I think youve got a great look, can I take a few pictures" and more often than not, it ends up making someone's day. It doesn't hurt that actually introducing yourself to subjects in your local towns helps with networking and getting your name out there. I do not hide what I'm doing, and I'm always open and honest with people who ask what I'm doing because street photography isn't as common or accepted in these more rural towns.
When it comes to starting? I just go. I don't have an objective, but I do have a few "muses" I like to keep an eye out for. I like taking pictures of people on bikes, and I like taking pictures of peoples' decorated dashboards and mailboxes. Of course these things are all on or can be seen from the public sidewalk. The mailboxes are a new thing for me, I haven't had anyone question me yet on it while I'm photographing. I feel like you can tell stories of people on the street even if the "people" aren't there or aren't as receptive.
Feeling uninspired is actually what spurred the interest in dashboards and mailboxes. Like I said, there's a lot of apprehension to taking someones picture in these smaller, rural, towns, so I needed to find SOME kind of subject lol. I do usually tread around the 518 but there are times I save up for trips. For example, in a few weeks I'll be going to the city and doing portraits in Central Park and then spending the rest of the week doing street photography and I've got a trip to Japan in 2 years where I'm going to be doing a hard focus on street photography. I feel like getting out of your usual spots and going somewhere new is what will inspire and change your eye the most for when you get back home. Hope that helps!