interesting thread as some of my quilt buddies and I on a Zoom call were talking about getting feedback on our quilts and whether that was comfortable or not. Not quite same as validation, but do think both alike in respect of not keeping our creativity tucked in the back room.
I'd suggest you re-check with the area guilds--while they may not have been convenience before the pandemic, many are undergoing some change as result of need to socially isolate. One of the guilds I'm in has totally shut down, the other switched to Zoom meetings in April and we've had 2 distanced (one outside, the other in a huge auditorium with 15 people!)but we've even done some workshops via Zoom. Since speakers are via Zoom, we've combined our 2 meetings into one via Zoom--so we are seeing members that don't usually attend due to not driving at night, work, etc. You may find a guild that is meeting via Zoom that works for you.