In my youth I had many mentors and teachers but the one I give the most credit to is the guy that taught me most in both, living life as well as magic. You will find that the old sayi9ng "When the student is ready the teacher will come" holds true; we can look and look and wish but until we are able to prove ourselves to that adept, we can't hope to catch their attention and give them a reason to give us time, correcting and encouragement. Too, and this can seem harsh, but not all of us "have it" when it comes to what is needed for "making it" and as one of my teachers pointed out, "Nobody wants to hitch themselves to a train that's got no momentum"
Having "Magic Buddies" is a good thing but only to a point, you don't want to be surrounded by "Yes Men" -- those that will give you kudos even when you stink a.k.a. IBM & SAM groups and what they've devolved into. I far more cherish those that will bust my chops on things than those that pat me on the back and say "Good Job"; the critique is what helps us build on and fulfill our dreams -- the vision we have as an "artist" that's striving to bring something to life.
There's some good people here at T-11 and over on E that you can learn a great deal from; don't pass it up!