How to clean up a dense indie folk mix using bus processing and reverb depth?

[StevenM]

I'm a home studio musician who has been recording my own indie folk tracks, but my mixes always sound muddy and lack clarity, especially when layering acoustic guitars, vocals, and subtle synth pads. I understand the basics of EQ and compression, but I'm struggling with more advanced mixing techniques like effective bus processing, creating depth with reverb sends, and getting elements to sit together in a cohesive soundstage. For other producers working in similar genres, what's your step-by-step approach to cleaning up a dense mix? How do you prioritize which elements to carve space for, and what are some go-to settings or plugins you use on your vocal and acoustic guitar buses to achieve a professional, polished sound without it sounding over-produced?