Mathematics is enriched when coupled with acts of making that enable ideas to be looked at from multiple angles. In this talk, I will advocate for the significance of making as a mode of mathematical inquiry, not necessarily to produce polished handicraft but because the attempt itself deepens understanding and fosters new insights. I will illustrate this point through an example from my own practice: implementing the Arnold Cat Map, a classic area preserving automorphism of the torus, on an ESP32 micro-controller to encrypt an image on a 16-by-16 addressable led screen. The process of using hyperbolic measure preserving transformations for image encryption piqued my interest and opened the door for lots of interesting questions. Through this example, I will argue that making, regardless of its final form, can be a worthwhile mathematical endeavor. It allows ideas to be encountered in new ways, encourages a willingness to experiment and to fail, and ultimately deepens mathematical thinking and discovery. Slides - https://polygonart6777.github.io/badmathart/